PROJECT JOURNEY
CONSTRUCTION
UNDERWAY
BY ROB YINGLING
Road widening and sidewalk modifi cations will
provide more options to route traffi c through
congested airport roadways as construction
activity increases at Reagan National.
A construction project that will improve the
passenger experience has started at Reagan
National Airport. When completed, two new
75,000-square-foot security checkpoints will
replace the ones now serving Terminal B/C
— shifting the post-security space to include
all of National Hall and its premier shops and
restaurants for ticketed travelers to enjoy at
their leisure. The other major component of
the project, the New Commuter Concourse,
will replace Gate 35X, ending the need for
travelers to ride buses and brave the elements to
board regional jets parked outside. The 14-gate
concourse will be complete with jetbridges,
spacious holdrooms and an American Airlines
Admirals Club lounge.
An offi ce building and hangars on the site of the
future concourse have recently been demolished
— opening up views to the north that include
Washington, D.C. and its iconic monuments.
The new concourse will maximize those viewing
opportunities with large windows and a high-
ceilinged “centrum” at the elbow where a
connecting hallway meets the gates.
For now, the site is undergoing excavation and
placement of a deep base layer that will compact
into land that was reclaimed from the Potomac
River at the airport’s original construction.
Passengers may see site work taking place
behind fences as they board remotely-parked
planes, exit the airport by car or peer through
aircraft windows on landing or takeoff . Until the
new concourse is complete — estimated for 2021
— planes serving Gate 35X will park around the
perimeter of the project site.
Changes are also coming in front of Terminal B/C
that will lay the groundwork for construction
of the two new security checkpoints over the
Arrivals roadway. At fi rst, the preparatory
activity will be limited to overnight periods when
airport traffi c is minimal. Contractors will scan for
underground utility lines then excavate to pour
new foundations. By summer, it is expected that
nighttime lane closures in this area will extend
into daytime periods — constricting the space
drivers may use to pick up airline passengers.
To mitigate potential traffi c jams, initial road
work will include adding new drive lanes
before and after Terminal B/C, plus three new
crossovers between roadways to add the
option of moving traffi c away from bottlenecks.
As construction increases and traffi c slows,
airport police will deploy extra personnel
and signage and regulate traffi c around the
airport. Passengers can also reduce and avoid
congestion by taking Metrorail or using parking
garages instead of driving in circles. Although
the fi rst steps may prove the most challenging,
the journey to a better passenger experience has
begun at Reagan National.
KEYS TO A BETTER
JOURNEY AT
REAGAN NATIONAL
As construction increases in front of
Terminal B/C, consider these tips:
Be the fi rst to know. Sign up for
construction alerts at fl yreagan.com.
Use Metrorail. The airport station
is conveniently located with indoor
walkways to Terminal B/C and a free
shuttle bus ride o r 15-minute walk to
Terminal A.
Picking someone up? Use airport
parking garages. Minimizing traffi c
through the Arrivals roadway will
reduce the severity of congestion
when roadwork and traffi c reach their
peak. If your party isn’t ready for
pickup, park — don’t circle around and
around the roads.
We’re here to help. Remember to
observe construction signs and follow
police direction. Some routine traffi c
patterns will temporarily change to
keep the airport operating as smoothly
as possible.
SPRING 2018 15 FLYWASHINGTON.COM